Combined stone gatherer and roller



No. 624,852. Patented May 9, I899. E. A. NUGENT. COMBINED STONE GATHERER AND ROLLER.

(Application filed June 14, 1898.)

(No Model.)

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No. 624,852. Patented May 9, I899. E. A. NUGENT.

COMBINED STONE GATHEREB AND ROLLER.

(App lication filed. June 14,,1898.)

(N Model.) 3 Sheets-Shem 2.

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No. 624,852. Patented May 9, I899. E. A. NUGENT. COMBINED STONE GATHEBEB AND ROLLER.

(Application filed June 14, 1898.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shunt 3.

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WITNESSES NrTED STATES 3 EDGAR NUGENT, OF UNIONVILLE, NEW YORK.

COMBINED STONE GATHERER AND ROLLER.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 624,852, dated May 9, 1899.

Application filed June 14, 1898; Serial No. 683,411. (No model.)

To whom it may concern Be it known that-I, EDGAR A. NUGENT, of

. Unionville, in the county of Orange and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Combined Stone Gatherer and Roller, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The object of the invention is to provide a new and improved stone gatherer and roller more especially designed for" use in roadmaking or by farmers to readily pick up the stones, rubbish, 850., from the road or field Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improve-v ment. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged sectional side elevation of adjacent elevator-buckets. Fig. 4 is an edge view of an elevator-bucket wheel. Fig. 5 is a face View of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the comb, and Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the same.

The improved machine is mounted on a suitably-constructed frame A, on the rear end .of which is journaled the roller B for rolling the road and ground, and near the middle of the frame are journaled caster-wheels 0,

adapted to travel on the ground.

On the frame A and near the rear end thereof are erected standards D, carrying at their upper ends hinges E, connected with the elevator-frame F of a bucket elevator F, the said frame extending downwardly and forwardly to support an auxiliary forwardlyprojecting frame F on which is journaled a wheel G, having fingers for throwing the stones, rubbish, and the like upon a comb H, extending in aninclined position, and'delivering the stones to the buckets F of the elevator F. The wheel G is provided with two rimsG, adapted" to travel normally on the ground, intermediate rims G being connected by spokes G with the hubs G and the rims G. On two corresponding spokes G of the two rims G are mounted to slide transverselyextending beams G pressed outwardly by springs G, resting with their inner ends on the rims G 011 eachof the beams G are mountedto slide a series of spaced fingers G normally pressed outward by springs G but adapted to slide inward when coming in contact with heavy stones, roots, or the like. The outer ends of the fingers G are about in alinement with the peripheral surfaces of the rims G and move close to the top face of the comb H, so that any stones engaged by the fingers G are readily thrown onto the comb H and rolled to the same until the stones pass into the buckets]? of the elevator.

By reference to Fig.1 it will be seen that the top surface of the comb H is segmental and the teeth of the comb are spaced sufficiently far apart to permit the extreme outer ends of the fingers G to pass between adjacent teeth, so that the stones cannot roll back, but have to travel up the comb on the rotation of the wheel G in the direction of the arrow or at the time the machine is drawn forward over the road or ground.

The buckets F of the elevator are cupshaped, as is plainly shown in Fig. 3, and are pivotally connected with each other to form an endless band of buckets, the buckets pass ing over wheels F F journaled in the lower and upper ends of the hinged frame F. traveling motion is given to the buckets in the direction of the arrow 1) from the roller B, and for this purpose the shaft F of the bucketwheels F carries a gear-wheel I in mesh with a gear-wheel I"on the shaft B of the roller 13. Thus when the machine is drawn forward and the roller B rolls OK on the ground then its rotary motion is transmitted by the gearwheels 1 and I to the shaft F and the wheels F to cause the buckets to travel in'the direction indicated. The buckets discharge at their upper ends into a box J, supported on the rear end of the frame A, and this box is provided with a trap-door J, hinged at J and normally locked in a closed position by bars J engaging staples and pins J held on the standards D. When it is desired to discharge the stones or other contents of the box J, the operator opens the door J, so that the case it is desired to pass over rocks, drc.

The shaft L is normally locked in place,

and for this purpose a ratchet-wheel L is provided, engaged by adog L to hold the ratchetwheel and shaft in place. The shaft, however, can be turned to wind up the chains K, and for this purpose the ratchet-wheel L is engaged by a pawl L hung on a hand-lever Lflfulcrumed loosely on the shaft L and within convenient reach of the operator, seated on the seat N, supported by the main frame A. Now when the operator moves the hand-lever L forward the pawl L glides over the teeth of the ratchet-wheel L, and when the lever is drawn backward the pawl turns the said ratchet-Wheel and shaft L to wind up the chain K. This motion can be repeated several times to wind up the chains K a sufficient distance to swing the elevator-frame F and the parts carried thereby into the desired position.

The comb H has its fingers pivoted on the back H, rigidly secured to the lower end of the elevator-frame F. The under side of the teeth of the comb near their fulcrum end is engaged by a shoe 0, connected by chains 0 with the chains K, so that when the operator winds up the chains K the shoe 0 swings the teeth of the comb H upward to allow the teeth to safely pass an obstruction in the roadway.

The buckets F of the elevator are preferably cup-shaped, as is plainly indicated in Fig. 3, their rounded bottoms F fitting into correspondingly-shaped recesses in the wheels F F so that the buckets readilypass around the wheels without straining the pivots or hinges F connecting the buckets with each other at the ends of the bottoms F The sides of the adjacent buckets F are free to open up when the buckets pass around the wheels F F; but while the buckets are on the straight runs the sides are held apart and parallel with each other by lugs F, as inclicated in Fig. 3.

The operation is as follows: IVhen the several parts are in the position illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 and the machine is drawn forward, then the wheel G rotates by the rims G traveling on the ground, so that the rows of fingers G7 when moving into a lowermost position pick up small stones and move them rearwardly onto and up the comb H, which finally discharges the stones into the buckets F of the elevator, the said buckets traveling in the direction of the arrow b, as previously explained. When the buckets turn over the uppermost wheel F they are sufficiently tilted to discharge the stones into the box J. When a load of stone has gathered in the box J, the latter is openedat the trap-door J to discharge the contents of the box in a heap on the ground. In case a heavy obstruction is in the path of the machine the operator manipulates the hand-lever L as above described, to swing the elevator-frame F upward and lift the wheel G, as well as the comb H, and to move the gear-wheel I out of mesh with the gear-wheel I, so that the elevator-buckets, as well as the wheel G, remain at a standstill, and the parts are sufficiently elevated to readily pass over the obstruction. The elevator-frame is then again lowered by the operator throwing the dog L and pawl L out of mesh with the ratchet-wheel L.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A stone gatherer, provided with a transverse comb, an endless bucket elevator into which discharges said comb, and a wheel in advance of the comb and formed with rows of yielding fingers, for throwing the stones or the like up and onto said comb, substantially as shown and described.

2. A stone-gatherer, provided with a transverse comb, an endless bucket elevator into which discharges said comb, and a wheel in advance of the comb and formed with rows of yielding fingers, for throwing the stones or the like up and onto said comb, said fingers being spaced apart to pass through the spaces between adjacent teeth of the comb and move the stones upward on the comb until they fall into the buckets of the elevator, substantially as described.

3. A combined stone gatherer and roller, comprising a main frame, a roller journaled on the rear end of the frame, caster-wheels for supporting the forward part of the frame, an elevator having its frame hinged to said main frame, a comb held on the lower end of the elevator-frame, and a wheel journaled on the elevator-frame, and having fingers for moving the stones onto and up on said comb, to pass into the buckets of the elevator, substantially as shown and described.

4. A combined stone gatherer and roller, comprising a main frame, a roller journaled on the rear end of the frame, caster-wheels for supporting the forward part of the frame, an elevator having its frame hinged to said .main frame a comb held on the lower end of the elevator-frame, a wheel journaled on the elevator-frame, and having fingers for moving the stones onto and up on said comb, to pass into the buckets of the elevator, and a box carried by the main frame and into which discharges the upper end of said elevatorbuckets, substantially as shown and described.

5. A combined stone gatherer and roller, comprising a main frame, a roller journaled on the rear end of the frame, caster-wheels for supporting the forward part of the frame,

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an elevator having its frame hinged to said main frame, a comb held on the lower end of the elevator-frame, a wheel journaled on the elevator-frame, and having fingers for moving the stones onto and up on said comb, to pass into. the buckets of the elevator, and means, substantially as described, for imparting motion to said elevator from said roller, as set forth.

- 6. A combined stone gatherer and roller, comprising a main frame, a roller journaled on the rear end of the frame, caster-wheels for supporting the forward part of the frame, an elevator having its frame hinged to said main frame, a comb held on the lower end of the elevator-frame, a wheel journaled on the elevator-frame, and having fingers for moving the stones onto and up on said comb, to pass into the buckets of the elevator, and

.means, substantially as described, for swinging the frame of said elevator up or down, as

the spokes of the wheel,substantially as shown and described.

8. An elevator having a series of rigid buckets, each with a rounded bottom and with perpendicular side walls, and hinges serving to connect the buckets with each other, such hinges being located immediately adjacent to the bottoms of'the buckets.

9. A stone-gathering apparatus having a frame, a wheel mounted on the frame, fingers carried by the wheel and serving to engage the stones, to throw the same rearwardly, and a comb disposed transversely tothe frame and rearward of the wheel, whereby to receive the stones from the wheel.

10. In a stone-gatherer, the combination with a frame, of a wheel mounted thereon,

elevator located rearward of the comb, to re- 56 ceive the stones from the wheel.

EDGAR A. NUGENT.

Witnesses:

RICHARD S. TUI'HIL'L, ISAAC E. TOLAND. 

